Q) How can I get my car to go faster and win heats?

A) Because most cars are so good, lets start with the driver. Take what you have and Practice, Practice, Practice. Study the course. Devise a strategy. Learn your apexes. And most of all, drive smuttily. Smooth driving slows down your inputs to the car and allows it to run faster by not scrubbing off speed with jerky inputs. Just remember, you can't win by using go-fast parts alone; you must keep off the boards and out of the pile-ups.

Q) How can I get my Paint to stick better?

A) Try this. Wash the body with warm water and liquid dish soap. Then dry it off until no water spots are left on the body. Do not touch the inside of the lexan with your fingers or you will leave oils from your skin that will keep the paint from getting a good grip on the plastic. Next, spray on light coats of paint to the inside of the car body. This should help to keep the paint from 'popping' of the lexan. But, the less flexing the lexan gets the better. So, no more somersaults down the back straits.

Q) Gearing!! How, When and Why?

A)This is how I think about it. Gearing refers to how many rotations the motor must make for every one rotation of the tires . The fewer revolutions it takes the motor to make the tires spin, the faster the car will go. To figure this mathematically, you must know the internal drive ratio of your car. For examples' sake we will use R/C Driver's Street Weapon's values.

Divide the spur gear size by the pinion gear size, this will result in the external drive ratio.

Next multiply the internal drive ratio by the external drive ratio, this is the final drive ratio.

or

Values: Spur gear = 78 tooth, Pinion = 34 tooth, internal drive ratio = 2.3

((Spur gear / pinion gear) x (internal drive ratio))

or

(( 78 / 34 ) x ( 2.3 )) = 5.27 : 1 (Tall)

(( 78 / 30 ) x ( 2.3 )) = 5.98 : 1 (Medium)

(( 78 / 28 ) x ( 2.3 )) = 6.40 : 1 (Short)

Find three gearings that work for your car. I use the Tall gearing for the oval track. Medium for street/oval combos. Short for road courses. Each has it's own uses. The oval track needs long sustained high speeds with little needs for low end torque. Street courses are lower speed races. They require low end torque to speed out of the corners and don't need to wind out to high speeds.

Of course, the above ratios work for the rookie motor currently installed. The ratios will change with hotter motors, so know the speed potential of your motor and use a midrange gear to start with.

A) There are several things that can cause an electric engine to get hot. First, start with the gearing. If your motor is geared too tall it will warm up because the load is too much for the engine to move. Secondly, is proper maintenance being preformed. See the next Q&A for motors maintenance.

Q) It seems like my electric motor is getting slower each time I use it.

A) There are a few things that will cause a loss of performance. 1) Are your brushes discolored or worn out? 2) Are your brush springs worn out? 3) Is the commutator worn out or discolored? 4) Are the bushings or bearings showing wear? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, It is time to do a little maintenance on the motor!

Use this four step cleaning and maintenance procedure before any big race or when showing off for friends:

Step 1) Remove brush springs and inspect. They must be able to hold the brush snugly against the commutator. Replace them if they seem like they have lost tension.

Step 2) Pull the brushes free from the motor. Inspect the brushes for discoloration. If so, lightly clean them with the comm stick. Also check to see if the brushes have worn past the point where the springs can't hold them against the commutator. If so, replace them.

Step 3) Spray down the motor until all gunk is gone from the motor. Let the spray air dry or blow it dry with canned air. If you use a stock motor, reapply bushing oil to the ends of the motor shafts. If you are running a modified motor use bearing oil.

Step 4) Using a comm stick, clean the comm as per the instructions of the stick. Typically, all one has to do is insert the comm stick into the brush hole and turn the motor a few times by hand. Repeat until the comm is shinny.

Step 5) Reinsert the brushes and reinstall the brush springs. Spin the motor a few times by hand to make sure the motor spins freely and quietly. Reinstall motor into the car and your ready to run.

If all the above still does not increase the performance, try having the comm trued. Sometimes it may cost more to have a motor worked over than it is to buy a new one, so check the costs first.

Remember- the better you care for your equipment the longer it will last, Try to keep everything free of dirt and well oiled. Note: Some new bearings do not need oil so read the manufacturer's instructions thoroughly.

Q) Why won't get my wheels center no matter how much steering trim I use?

A) The steering servo was not centered before the steering arm as attached. To fix this, remove the steering arm. Turn on radio and receiver. Set your steering trim to zero by centering the adjusting knob. You will hear the action of the servo when you make this adjustment. Turn off receiver and radio. Reattach the steering arm. Recheck the toe adjustment of the tires. Your set to run.

 

Receiver Pin-outs

Please Note: The order of the wires are from top to bottom. The plug wires extend from the left plug and the connector holes are on the right of the plug.

10 Radio Glitch Fixes

 

1) Receiver Location. The location of your receiver is very important. Try to mount it so it is the highest control in the car. With todays receivers, weight is of little matter. I would rather have a high ounce over cg than a glich at the wrong moment.

 

2) Locate the receiver as close to the antenna mast as possable. If necessary relocate the mast. The antenna kit from Associated works very well and they give you an extra long mast as well.

 

3) Don't let the antenna wire touch the chassis. With all the graphite parts used today, this is most important. Graphite is a good conductor. It will pickup pulses from the motor/ESC/battery and interfere with the radio signal.

 

4) Drill a hole in the side of the antenna mast to keep the wire off the chassis. See above.

 

5) Don't drape wires from the motor/ESC/batteries over the receiver or antenna wire.

 

6) Try two layers of servo tape to further insulate the receiver from the chassis. See #3.

 

7) Inspect the receiver antenna wire for breaks.

 

8) Be sure that the antenna is the correct length.

 

9) Always use fresh batteries in the transmitter.

 

10) Check to be sure the transmitter antenna is tightly screwed into the transmitters body.

• Keep those shocks from popping off the A-arms. Place a washer between the screw head and the shock. That will keep the shock from popping off over the screw head. To the R/C Driver this is a must upgrade in competition driving.
• Upgrading to titanium turn buckles and pins. The kit turn buckles are just too soft. With the wide tires ready to hit everything in sight, one needs all the strength one can get.
• Battery Placement / T3. When racing in parking lots, use one foam spacer in front of the battery pack and all the rest behind. This will give added bite to the steering. For a dirt track, load the battery more toward the back for added traction for the rear tires.
• Suggested gear ratio / T3. A gear ratio of 24t pinion and 84t spur seems to keep up with the pack.
•  

Q) How do I know if my Nitro engine is running at the right temperature?

A) Use the spit test. Heat is the number one enemy of all Nitro Vehicles. It is important to keep your Nitro plant running cool. Two sounds to listen for are a high pitched whine(too lean)or a gurgling (too rich). Rich means that there is more gas than air and lean means there is more air than gas. The spit test consists of running the car for about two minutes for the engine to get warm. Place a drop of water on the top of the head. The drop should evaporate in three to five seconds. If the drop sizzles when it hits the head your motor is too hot(too lean), run the motor richer. If the drop does nothing, run the car for a couple more minutes and try the test again.

Q) Can I use any fuel for my Nitro engine?

A) Use the right fuel type. Airplane and R/C Car fuel have different amounts and types of lubricants. Airplanes have more airflow over the engine to keep it cool. So airplane engines do not need as much lubricant to stay cool as an R/C engine. Never use airplane fuel in an R/C car. Never use more than the percentage set by your engine manufacturer. The standard R/C fuel is a 20% mix. Remember, using the proper fuel will keep your engine healthy and cool.

Q) What are After Run Drops?

A) Regular use of After Run Drops will help protect your engine. After a day of use, you must put some after run drops through the motor to prevent the build up of corrosion, oxidation and fuel residue. To use, pour a few drops in the carb inlet. A few pulls on the starter will lubricate the engine's internals. There are few brands available, so use a name you like. Remember, any brand is better than no drops at all.

TIP#1) The Screws on Nitro cars keep unscrewing. Nitro Cars vibrate a lot which causes parts to vibrate loose. Use some locktite wherever metal contacts metal. Do not use locktite where metal contacts plastic as most locktite will eat the plastic.

TIP#2) An RC10GT car with a pull start has less get up and go than one without. Pull starts add two kinds of weight. Rotation weight and static weight. Rotation weight is the weight of a part that turns the rear axles. This weight force is about twice the weight of the part when not in motion (static weight). The pull starter itself adds to the weight of the engine and the rotating parts that the pull start uses to start the motor add to rotation weight. If you plan on seriously racing the Nitro vehicle it may be a good idea to start with a motor that is a non-pull start. The only drawback to non-pull start is you must buy a starter wheel or starter box to start the engine.

TIP#3) I tried the spit test but I am still not sure if my motor is running the right temperature. There are a number of products on the market that will measure the temperature of your engine. They start around $45 and go up to two or three hundred dollars. If you are looking for good inexpensive hardware try the MIP Temperature gauge. If you want accuracy try one of the more expensive remote infrared temperature sensors.